Big Second Half Lifts U-M Over Illinois on Picture-Perfect Senior Night

Saturday, October 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan

6-5-6, 3-4-3B1G

Illinois

5-13-0, 2-8-0B1G

Illinois

Michigan

Big Second Half Lifts U-M Over Illinois on Picture-Perfect Senior Night

10/21/2017 11:01:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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By: Whitney Vojtkofsky

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Stadium)
Score: Michigan 3, Illinois 0
Records: U-M (6-5-6, 3-4-3 Big Ten), ILL (5-13-0, 2-8-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Oct. 25 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 4 p.m.

» Michigan earned a 3-0 shutout win over Illinois on Senior Night, with all seven of its seniors seeing game action.
» All three of Michigan's goals came in the final 21 minutes of play, with Reilly Martin (70'), Ani Sarkisian (74' PK) and Abby Kastroll (90') each netting a goal.
» Senior goalkeepers Megan Hinz and Sarah Jackson split the shutout, while Hinz earned the start and the win.
» The win improves U-M's Big Ten record to 3-4-3 and keeps its Big Ten Tournament chances alive.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team earned a picture-perfect win on Senior Night, shutting out Illinois, 3-0, in its regular-season home finale on Saturday (Oct. 21) at U-M Soccer Stadium. The win improved U-M's Big Ten record to 3-4-3 and keeps the Wolverines in the running to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.

Michigan honored its seven seniors prior to today's match -- Alyssa Dillon, Emma Groffsky, Alyssa Herwatt, Megan Hinz, Sarah Jackson, Ani Sarkisian, and Rubina Veerakone. To date, that group has an overall record of 40-22-16, including a 30-4-9 mark at U-M Soccer Stadium. All seven seniors saw game action in today's win.

Following a scoreless first half, Michigan caught fire late in the second half, scoring all three of its goals in the final 21 minutes of play. Three goals are the most U-M has put up since it defeated Idaho State, 4-0, on Aug. 20, while it marks the Maize and Blue's fifth shutout of the season and first in Big Ten play.

Junior Reilly Martin broke open the scoring in the 70th minute. Sophomore Jada Dayne took a long free kick from beyond midfield and junior Abby Kastroll flicked the ball with her head toward the feet of Martin, who took a few touches and turned her defender, slotting in a left-footed shot at 69:43. Martin continues to lead Michigan in goals with six and has had at least one point in seven of nine Big Ten matches. Fourteen of her team-best 17 points have come in conference play.

Exactly four minutes later, Michigan was awarded a penalty kick as a result of an Illini handball in the penalty box. Co-captain Sarkisian stepped to the spot and converted to put U-M up, 2-0, in the 74th minute.

With a 2-0 final score seeming likely late in the game, Michigan added a third insurance goal. Groffsky played a ball ahead to Kastroll, who took Illinois' last defender one-on-one and scored low with 31 seconds left on the clock.

Senior goalkeepers Hinz and Jackson split the shutout, finishing with three and one saves, respectively. Hinz earned her third start of the season and improved to 3-0.

"It was definitely a picture-perfect night," Sarkisian said of her final regular-season home match. "I remember looking back when we were freshmen or sophomores and thinking about who is going to get on the field tonight. It's such an important game, it's win and go ahead or lose and stunt your progress in the Big Ten, so it's not like we are playing to please people, we are playing to win. But knowing that everyone in our senior class can step on the field and make a huge impact, it just makes you happy to see that everyone can contribute in a win like this."

In the first half, it looked as if Michigan tallied the first goal of the game in the 21st minute, as U-M's first corner kick of the match was headed away to sophomore center back Brooke Cilley, who scored on a low-driven shot from 30 yards, but it was called off due to an offsides call on the Wolverines.

"These last two games, this game and the next one coming up, I think we've been looking at it as an opportunity," Sarkisian added. "If we want to continue, we have to be dedicated to working as a team and really going out there to win and not wanting a tie. You have to go out there 100 percent and take the game from them because they are not going to let you walk over them."

Michigan will wrap up the regular season with a road trip to Rutgers on Wednesday (Oct. 25) for a 4 p.m. matchup. The Wolverines need a win in that match to give them a chance to advance to the Big Ten Tournament. The game will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network.